Text: Songs 2:15 – “Catch the foxes, the little foxes, before they ruin our vineyard in bloom.” (GNB)
The dead cannot dream but every physically alive person is naturally endowed to dream. The main dream of a heavenly-minded Christian is to please God and do His will. The message that we heard yesterday during the Sunday Worship service called us to let go some lawful, legitimate and important things that could serve as extra load (weight) which could stagnate or slow down our spiritual growth and journey to pleasing the Lord. We learned yesterday that Apostle Paul had the marks of service on him and we were challenged to dream big of counting all things as dung and indeed have marks of service upon us. In reality, not everyone see their dream come to pass because there are dream killers out there waiting to murder our dreams. For us to escape the onslaught attack of these murderers of our dreams, we need to identify them. So, what are they?
- Satan and sin: John 10:10: Remember, there are threefold targets of the Devil against every Christian dreamer: Steal: Satan’s number one task is to steal every dreamer’s heart from Christ just like Absalom did to the Israelites (2 Sam. 15:1-6). In addition, it is to make the dreamer stop pursuing his dream of counting all things as dung with the goal of pleasing and knowing the Lord and experiencing His power of resurrection in our day (Phil 3:7-10). Kill: Satan’s number two task is to kill the dreamer’s spiritual ambition by making him engage in pleasure (1 Tim. 5:6; Phil. 3:7-8; 1 Kings 13:1-26; Gen. 19:26).
Destroy: Satan’s number three task is to waste the dreamer’s dream. Prov. 22:8: Satan cannot destroy the dreamer’s dream without the dreamer falling into sin. The moment a dreamer fall into sin, the Devil strikes. Gen. 3:1-7; Matt. 4:1-11: The desire to accumulate and enjoy everything that isa gain to the dreamer instead of counting it as dung will be presented as a priority to him by the Devil. 1 Tim. 4:1: The dreamer’s dream can easily be killed and destroyed (depart from the faith) by obeying the seducing spirits and believing the doctrines of devils.
Solution: 2 Tim. 2:19-21 – Depart from iniquity.
- Busy lifestyle: Songs 1:6; Exo. 5:1-9
One of the greatest and powerful weapons that Satan uses to murder the dreamer’s dream is to make him be too busy and serve with rigour to grow the world economy.
Solution: Cultivate the habit of taking time off from busy lifestyle to focus on things of God (Exo. 20:8-11; 23:12; Ps. 127:2). In addition, be contented with things without overstressing yourself (1 Tim. 6:6; Exo. 16:16,18; Ecc. 2:1-11, 22-24).
- Procrastination: Prov. 6:4-11; 13:4; 18:9; 20:4; 27:1; Ecc. 11:4; Lk. 9:59-62; John 9:4; James 4:13-14
Procrastination is a lie of the devil that you don’t have time now, it can be done later. Satan uses the weapon of procrastination to kill dreamer’s dream as he keeps on postponing taking the needful steps day after day, before he knows what is going on, he would have lost the opportunity, ageing process would have taken place (Ecc. 12:1-7).
Solution: Psalm 90:12 – we need to pray continually that God will help us realize that time is short and that we need to act now (John 4:35; Ecc. 11:1-6). Then, always make time for what is important (John 9:4).
- Association with unlike-minded people: Prov. 13:20; 23:9; 2 Kings 2:1-8; 1 Cor. 15:33
When a dreamer shares his big dream with the people who have no vision for glorious things of God, he should not be surprised that such people would discourage him from pursuing his dream. They will have 1001 reasons why such dream cannot be accomplished.
Solution: Prov. 13:20 – keeps good, like-minded company and share your dream with them (Dan. 2:1-19). Don’t give people room to trash your dream into the dust-bin of lost memory.
- Fear: Gen. 19:17-26; Acts 5:1-5: Fear of leaving certainty to uncertainty Mark 3:21; 2 Tim. 4:16: Satan uses the fear of rejection, losing friends and family to make a dreamer jettion his dream.
Solution: Fear will make you not to move forward. However, remember God’s promise for you concerning fear (Isa. 41:10).
- Past life: Lk. 15:11-24
The younger (prodigal) son did not allow his past behavior of missing the mark, past wasted life, wasted dream and wasted opportunity dictate his fresh start.
Solution: Isa. 43:18-19 – Believe and dwell in the promise of God for a new and glorious start. Don’t let your past dictate your present and future; remember, “you are a new creation, old things are past away, all things are becoming new in your life” (2 Cor. 5:17).
- Human philosophy and culture: 1 Tim 1:3-4; 4:7; 2 Kings 7:1-2; 1 Cor 2:12; 14; 2 Tim 4:1-8; Col 2:8
Another great and wicked murderer of dream is human philosophy and culture (tradition). The present day philosophy and culture is the so call “American Dream.” American dream is all about everyone (irrespective of your social and economic backgrounds) living better, richer and fuller through working hard. However, for Apostle Paul, that American dream is to be counted as dung.
The culture of this age Christianity is that “once you are saved, you are saved for ever, continuing in sin cannot hinders you from making it to heaven.”
Solution: there is nothing wrong with a prosperity message except when it becomes an idol, the major pursuit of life, do or die thing (1 Tim. 6:6-10).
